Geranium Essential Oil (Pelargonium graveolens) - Madagascar

Madagascar Geranium Essential Oil

Origin: Madagascar

Botanical name: Pelargonium graveolens

Extraction: Steam distillation of the leaves and aerial parts of the plant.

Olfactory description

Madagascar geranium presents a rich, balanced, and particularly refined aromatic profile. It shares the rosy characteristics typical of the best geraniums used in perfumery, but incorporates a green and aromatic freshness that gives it great versatility.

The opening reveals green, fresh, and slightly citrusy notes. It quickly evolves into a floral heart where rosy nuances dominate, accompanied by herbal and softly mentholated facets. In the base, light earthy and aromatic tones appear, contributing to its excellent fixative and blending capacity.

Its aroma occupies an intermediate space between a fresh rose and a freshly cut aromatic plant, which explains its enormous importance in natural perfumery.

Aromatic evolution

- Top notes: green, fresh, and slightly citrusy.

- Heart notes: rosy floral, herbal, and aromatic.

- Base notes: soft, earthy, and persistently green.

Applications in perfumery

Geranium is one of the most important raw materials in classical and modern perfumery due to its ability to add volume, naturalness, and cohesion to a formula.

It is particularly useful in:

- Floral perfumes.

- Fougères.

- Chypres.

- Oriental compositions.

- Classic masculine fragrances.

- Rose accords.

It combines particularly well with:

- Rose.

- Jasmine.

- Lavender.

- Bergamot.

- Vetiver.

- Patchouli.

- Oakmoss.

- Frankincense.

- Sandalwood.

In addition to its own aroma, it stands out for its ability to link floral, herbal, and woody notes within a composition, often acting as a structural material.

Technical observations

- Color: pale yellow to light green.

- Consistency: fluid.

- Aromatic intensity: high.

- Diffusion: high.

- Tenacity: medium-high.

Small amounts are often sufficient to provide floral freshness and significantly improve the integration of other ingredients within a formula.

Traditional use

Geranium essential oil has been widely used in perfumery, cosmetics, and aromatherapy since the 19th century. Its natural rosy profile has made it one of the main botanical alternatives for enriching floral accords, providing freshness, naturalness, and aromatic complexity.